Fear not for am I in the place of god?
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Has someone close to you ever hurt you and you just didn't understand how it could have happened?

You're not alone. The Bible is full of examples, but the one that stood out to me today is of Joseph.

Here we have a young man sold into slavery by his brothers. They walked away and everything must have seemed normal for them. They administered pain and seemingly shook it off, while their brother endured prison.

But we know God wasn't finished. God had a plan!

Though the scripture doesn't say, I often wonder if Joseph had any thoughts about it all ending in a prison cell. How would you handle a situation like this? Would you have plotted against your brothers? Would you have dreamed of the day you were released so you could give them what they were due? Would you have harbored so much bitterness towards them that the very thought of them caused strange things to happen to you? I'm afraid I wouldn't have been much different.

As we read the story of Joseph and how he saved his family in the famine, it is easy to see that he had not plotted revenge! As he sat in prison, he allowed love to rule his heart! It was evident in his behavior at the end.

Their father had died, and now the brothers begin to worry that Joseph will seek revenge! They begin to fear that he will treat them differently now that dad was gone! They sought forgiveness, and the scripture tells us that Joseph wept with them!

His words are powerful: fear not for am I in the place of god?
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Has someone done you wrong and for years you have dwelt on the wrong, rather than the fact that there just might be a higher purpose? God may just have a plan! While the enemy intends evil, God can turn it into GOOD!

Oh Jesus, if there was ever anyone that was more wronged, it was You! The pain and torture you suffered for us! Yet God had a Master plan! The enemy wanted you dead, just as Joseph's brothers wanted him out of the way! He was imprisoned; you were hung on a cross! AND STILL THERE WAS A PLAN!

You were buried in a tomb, but death could not hold You! YOU ROSE AGAIN! You did not succumb to bitterness, but You displayed the ultimate act of LOVE!

Lord, we have been wronged so many times, and we have nursed the wrongs. We've harbored bitterness, and even, at times, devised plans to get them back. Lord, we see how wrong this is! Forgive us Jesus for not walking and living out the example of love you showed us through Joseph and Yourself!

Lord, there are so many who are burdened with a heavy weight of past hurts! They cannot see there is an ultimate plan, because the cloud of bitterness and hurt is too thick!

We bring these people to You today and ask that You envelope them with Your love! Open their eyes Jesus so they can see that everything the enemy intended for evil, You will turn it into good! Let them see the hurt and pain You endured ultimately Your love that won!